Let’s talk about…SEX!

Well, I knew coming into this internship I would be having conversations regarding sex and let me tell you, WE ARE, everyday…or so. Prior to coming, I felt that I was pretty comfortable with my sexuality and talking about it, but I won’t lie, I was a bit timid talking about my experiences or general thoughts regarding sex. For example and no pointing any names, we’ll have in-depth conversations about anal sex, oral sex, S&M sex, heterosexual sex, homosexual sex, trans womyn/men sex, straight men with gay men sex, sex positions, sex in theaters, sex in saunas, chat rooms to find people to have sex, and so forth; quite fascinating!

Some of these topics I have talked about openly with friends back in Oregon and we joke around or what not, but the difference I have in general noticed is the openness everyone has when talking about the various areas. Some of us might make it clear that we would probably not have “this” kind of intercourse or “that” kind. However, at the end, everyone acknowledges that sex is natural and normal for humans and we really have no right to judge anyone for what is socially accepted because sexually is something we all find pleasureable in different manners. It is very diverse and needs start transitioning into not being such a taboo subject where there are “specific” spaces to talk about. Based on my experience, the only spaces I have had conversations about sex are in two courses I took at Western (Human Sexuality and Sociology of Gender), with some close friends, and one or two of my sisters/nieces. I have only once mentioned sex to my parents with the reason that I went to get tested and wanted to start a conversation regarding being responsible and getting a check up. Still, this conversation did not go far because my parents are still getting use to my sexual orientation and gender identity, but that’s another another topic that is for anyone day.

One thing I hope families and individuals can practice more is to not be after to open up, when they are comfortable to do so, and talk about sex. Whether it is talking about the many types of sex, the importance of using condoms, the positivity that sex brings, the nature of sex, and one of the most important, an integral sexual education in and outside of learning institutions.

When I first arrived to Argentina, VOX had presented an investigation regarding Argentina’s Integrated Sexual Education N26.150 law passed in 2006 where every school has to cover sexual education, but has not been truly enforced. They conducted a survey with 13 questions regarding emphasis on HIV, differences between sexual orientation/gender identity, if participants knew there was an Integrated Sexual Education law (ESI), what material was covered in the ESI, etc. and went to various schools/parks and got students (152 participants)/teachers (96 participants) to fill them out outside because VOX was not allowed in the classrooms. There were lots of results and here are a few I felt stood out. There were more teachers who received trainings to cover the material that felt they where not competent enough to cover the areas required in the classroom. Roughly 28% of students did not receive an integrated sexual education while 72% did. Out of those #’s, 44% felt they did not learn much. Some topics students wanted to talk about in an integrated sexual education include violence within relationships, sexually transmitted infections, prevention, and human sexuality. There is a complete PDF file with the data from this investigation for anyone who would like a copy, just hit meh up!

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Members of VOX Asociación Civil presenting the Integrated Sexual Education data.

Currently, we are working on a new investigation regarding HIV/AIDs and health within young adults ages 15-30. Some questions within the survey include have you every gone to get tested for HIV, did you receive any professional counseling prior to the examination, how often do you use condoms during intercourse and oral sex, what do you consider the most effective manner for prevention programs, etc. Currently, we have been surveying at el Paseo de la Diversidad which is next to the Paraná River as well as distributing surveys to other organizations. I am not sure the total number of surveys we have collect, but Team Yellow which is myself and Federico, a member of VOX, have gathered quiet a bit a numbers, ha! But so has everyone else hehe :).  I have been enjoying this investigation because it gives me the opportunity to interact with the locals, practice my spanish, be out in the park and enjoy the scenario while staying productive. I hope within the next few weeks or before I leave, we closely look at the responses and generate a presentation from the data collected.

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Camilia, member of VOX Asociación Civil, Grupo Jovenes, and RAJAP Red Argentina de Jovenes y Adolescentes Positivos.

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First day of surveying.

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Federico posing while a group fills out the HIV/AIDs survey.

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Some of the folks who collected surveys the first day out at El Paseo de la Diversidad.

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Federico and I surveying at El Paseo de la Diversidad.

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Contains a condom and list of sexually transmitted infections.

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I’m always up to model for the camera.

I understand that everyone has different views on sexuality and I respect that. Everything I wrote has been based on my experiences and understandings.

La Comida

Those who know me, know that I LOVE to cook and eat! However, I have been having some withdrawals from not eating typical Mexican dishes such as tacos, pollo ala crema, carne asada, pollo con arroz, huevos rancheros, or SPICY FOOD in general!!! So far, I have been eating lots of pasta dishes, pizza, burgers/fries, sandwiches, milanesa (breaded thin slices of chicken or beef), bread, empanadas (meat kinds, not the desert kinds I’m use too), veggie pies, and more red meats though I still have yet to eat some Asado. Some of the meats/veggies I’ve most noticed most are olives, eggs, lots of tomatoes/onions, various cheeses, ham, beef, salami, and even eggplant and spinach. Though I have yet to eat something with a lil spicy kick, I have enjoyed trying new foods. I like to remind myself to be open and try everything at least once before making a conclusion. Overall, I do miss jalapeños, salsa roja, and even guacamole, but the food thus far has been delicious and hasn’t gotten me sick, ha! Below are some pictures of dishes I have encounter/prepared:

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Another thing I have been having to adjust are when folks eat. Breakfast is much smaller than I am use too. Lunch is around 1-2pm. Around 5-6pm, you eat a some snack with maté. Dinner is not until around 10-12pm. I have been taking advantage of lunch and eat as much as possible because I get hungry every 3 hours and dinner is way too late for me. Also, the cost of food is much more expensive than I am use too. I typically spend around 15-20 dollars (60-100 pesos) if I go out to a restaurant. One thing I love about lunch and dinner is that everyone eats together. Back home, my family and I rarely eat together or even with my roommates. I love that we can have conversations about each others day, highs/lows, any new adventures, etc. In terms of drinking, I have been drinking a lot more soda than usual. We have had bottles of wine, but it has been mostly when we have larger team dinners. We haven’t had beer at the site as a drink, but it is very common to buy several bottles of beer and share during dinner at restaurants.

So, if anyone wants to send me some spice, hollllllaaaa!

I love taking pictures!

This week I decided not to write much, but rather show you all pictures of things that I have done/come my way. They are in no particular order. Hopefully this gives you all a sense of my time in Argentina thus far (ending week 3 on Wednesday, April 10th)…

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Mayor of Rosario

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Traveled to Santa Fe (Capital of the Providence of Santa Fe)

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Fed and I (Team Yellow) got 25 surveys filled out at El Paseo de la Diversidad. The surveys were about HIV/AIDS and health related to folks ages 15-30.

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Saw the apartment building where Ernesto “Che” Guevara lived.

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Pretty sik restaurant

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Panorama shot of the Paraná River 

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Had dinner at a not so nice restaurant with Jennifer! She is studying in Rosario and is also a student from WOU.

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I will be getting a tour of the museum on the 24th of April.

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The mosquitos love me…

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Some of the folks in VOX Asociación Civil-Rosario that I work with.

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Snapchat from my best friend Rubit, miss you lots. Though we have yet to Skype, I did have a wonderful hour long conversation with her.

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Got to attend an important meeting regarding the investigation of the murder of a trans womyn in Reconquista, Providence of Santa Fe.

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I will be traveling back to Rafaela this weekend and meeting up with the VOX A.C. team.

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Monument for the Argentinian flag.

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Outside the office entrance.

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Che’s Monument

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Loving Rosario 🙂

Weekend in Rafaela, Providence of Santa Fe, Argentina

This past weekend I traveled to the city of Rafaela and met up with members of VOX A.C. Rafaela. During my stay, I participated with the organization and many others in the Silvia Suppo event(s). Silvia Suppo was murdered three years ago by the police of Rafaela after she testified against key individuals whom were critical members within the Argentinian dictatorship of 1976-83. Silvia Suppo was an activist taking back to her teens and was tortured, raped, beaten, etc. throughout her life. Three years ago, she was stabbed to death nine times in her business and justice has yet to be served. No investigation has been conducted for her or many other folks whom have either disappeared or have been murdered; 18 within the city of Rafaela.

I knew about the harsh/tough reality folks went through during the dictatorship regime, but I had no clue that people at times are still murdered or disappearing

when they testify or are against police officials. This weekend open my eyes to the difference between how I live my life and the life that folks live here. Everyone seemed to be conscious about events, names, political parties, organizations, etc. It was very motivating to see how strong they carry themselves and the fight for justice they thrive.

Besides helping and attending with event, I was also a guest on HOMOsapien, a radio show put on by members of VOX A.C. Rafaela. I was given the chance to briefly speak on California’s Proposition 8, DOMA, and Oregon United For Marriage as well as talk about why I came to Argentina. The show was very fun!!!!! I enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere and the funny comments/expressions they made during the show; it semi helped get the butterflies out of me.

The link below is a video I made of my experience while being in Rafaela. Though it might seem pretty lengthy, I put lots of pictures and videos of the Silvia Suppo mural, press conference, panel, march, HOMOsapien show, and random bloopers that will show you the differences between USA marches/consciousness and Argentina marches/consciousness; as see through my eyes. Hope you all enjoy it!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200394480317903

Until next time!

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VOX Asociación Civil Rafaela

Abrazo y besos de Rosario, Santa fe, Arg.

Emmanuel

Arrival to Argentina/VOX Asociación Civil

Hola todxs,

I am finally in ARGENTINA!!! After a full one and a half day of traveling from Portland to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Houston, Houston to Buenos Aries, and Buenos Aries to Rosario, I made it to VOX Asociación Civil (A.C.).

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(Bus station in Buenos Aries, Arg.)

Let me take you all back two days from today, March 20th 2013. I left Monmouth at 6am with no prior sleep in hopes of sleeping during my flight(s). My flight from PDX to LA was 2 hours and went by quick; I actually slept the during the whole flight. LA to Houston was 3.5 hours, but it too was quick. This flight along with my next flight from Houston to Buenos Aries had T.V.s for every seat with access to movies, T.V. shows, music, and games. My flight from Houston to Buenos Aries was the toughest one. I had never been on a flight that was 10 hours!!! I brought a quilt, neck pillow, charged laptop/iPod, book, and had the T.V. movies available for me, however it did not help me much with being in a tight space for such a long period of time. Luckily, I was able to sleep half way through the flight and woke up an hour before landing.

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(Somewhere in South America ha!)

Once we landed in Arg. (March 21st), immigration/customs took a good hour or so. After showing my documentations and examination of my belongings, I walk through the sliding doors to a large group of folks yelling taxi’s, omnibus, etc. I had planned prior with VOX A.C. for them to pick me up, but with no phono service or wifi available, I was about to bust a mission and look for Camila & Julio; two individuals whom work with VOX A.C. and are part of Grupos Jovenes. Surprisingly, I was able to find less than 5 minutes after my search. My first reactions were relief and excitement. After traveling for so long, I wanted to finally arrive and see some familiar faces.

At the airport, we went to buy some bus tickets. While waiting in line, I met a young lady from Boston, Lauren, whom was meeting up with her friend in Buenos Aries. She knew very minimal Spanish and asked for both mine and Camila/Julio’s help. After telling Camila/Julio where she was trying to get, she joined us and came along on our mini adventure. We got the tickets, got lost for about 30 minutes, and eventually found the bus and left the airport.

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(El omnibus que nos llevo a la capital)

The bus ride to the capital seemed quick, even though it was a 30-45 min. ride. We talked about VOX A.C., shared personal stories, saw lots of high buildings, and we even drove pass La Casa Rosada (Presidential Palace). After getting dropped off at one of the bus stations, Camila, Julio, and I made our way to another bus station while Lauren got a taxi and went her way.

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(Snapshot while on the bus. Buenos Aries, Arg.)

We walked several blocks to get to the bus station and note, we had all of my belongings. I was a little nervous walking the streets with my stuff because folks had told me prior to arriving to not have valuables visible due to picketers and in general raising your visibility. Thankfully, we quickly made our way through the crowded side walks and busy streets and bought our tickets to Rosario.

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(Forgot the name of this park in Buenos Aries, oops!)

Within 30 minutes of purchasing our tickets, we got on the bus and left Buenos Aries which by the way was another 30-45 minutes just to leave the city. During the bus ride, I practice my first “siesta” (nap after lunch) though I am not sure if it truly counts. All three of us slept for a good hour and a half or so. Once awake, I observed the land and thought how much it resembles parts of the midwest; very flat, green/yellow colors, and parts cloudy. Upon arrival to Rosario, I remember seeing the Rosario Casino, a shopping center, lots of old, vintage looking buildings with a little modern twist, folks driving motorcycles, many small cars driving very fast in-between lanes, and people walking as the sun set.

At the bus station, we got a taxi and made our way to Entre Rios, the street where VOX A.C. is located. This was about a 15 min. drive. When we arrived, Guillermo, the President of VOX A.C., along with a few other individuals were waiting and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. I am not going to lie, I was very nervous at this point because I finally was here and it truly hit me; I had a surreal moment.

The first night, Julio and César, another member of Grupos Jovenes, stayed with me. One thing that I have been wanting to try was yerba mate and this finally came true! They served the tea in a traditional mate. Yerba mate definitely is a new taste that I am going to have to get use to. It was quite bitter even though sugar was added. Still, I got one thing check off my bucket list while in Argentina.Image

(Yerba mate)

Afterwards, we walked around the city for a bit and went to the grocery store to find food to make back at the office. Ironically, we decided to make a Mexican dish, Pollo ala Crema which is my favorite. We ate, listened and exchanged music, had many conversations ranging from the history of the LGBT community to politics to philosophers to pop culture, etc. Note, I am a “native speaker,” but there were times when I had no idea what they were talking about. I let them know however and they would explain things in another manner and slow down when speaking. Also, Julio knows English which helped a lot. By this time, it was around 1 am, Friday March 22nd. We would be waking up early this day for a presentation VOX A.C. would conduct at 9:30am. After unpacking a few things, taking a necessary shower, updating my Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook, I called it a good night and went up to one of the rooms. Thinking that I would be able to fall asleep because I was tired, that did not happen. Argentina is four hours ahead and I was still use to the time zone in Oregon. I laid for about an hour until I fell asleep and eventually woke up at 8am to the busy city of Rosario.

Meño

Return from Rosario!

After spending three weeks in Rosario, Argentina, I was finally feeling settled in my homestay, and classes, and in meeting new people, and using Spanish more often and with more confidence. So of course it was time to head home!

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My lovely host mother, Noemi, and myself.

We finished up our final school projects, took our last few walks through the streets of Rosario, and had a fantastic last night as a group. I had planned to take Tienda Leon back to the Buenos Aires airport, and I was a little nervous because for the first time, I was travelling on my own. But it ended up working very smoothly, and I witnessed one of my favorite sights since being in Argentina: on Sundays, they close Blvd. Orono, which is one of the larger streets in Rosario, so that cars can’t drive down it and people can instead ride bikes, or skateboard, or rollerskate, or otherwise travel down the normally busy street. I saw many families taking advantage of this, and I thought it was such a good idea. It was encouraging people to spend time with their families, and people were actually taking advantage of it.

On the last Saturday I was in Argentina, we walked down to the waterfront, and it was one of the first really sunny days since we had arrived. We reached the waterfront, where we had been many times before, and for once it was filled with people! There were tons of families, and couples walking dogs, and we spent a fair amount of time just watching the people, and enjoying a day where we didn’t need to have several sweatshirts on to stay warm.

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Here’s a classic candid photo of Cain and I by the river.

Also, the day before that picture was taken I had the greatest churro of my life. Of all the reasons to return to Argentina, that one is truly making me consider returning next summer. There are few things better than a warm churro full of dulce de leche, I promise you.

As I was beginning to truly reflect on my time abroad, I boarded Tienda Leon with a sense of relief, admittedly. I had never really left the country before (just a brief trip to Canada when I was 10) and I was relieved that the trip had gone so well, and that I had found it easy to become friends with the people on my trip, as well as the Argentinians we met while abroad. Anne

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Miss you guys already!

Camas fer Dayz

For my 19th birthday on July 6th, I did what any rational 19 year old would do and set off for a Wonder of the World with some of my classmates. It takes 18 hours to get to Puerto Iguazu on a bus, so we knew we were in for a treat. There was a minor scandal involving Emily accidentally buying a ticket for semi-cama instead of cama on the way back, but we rolled with it, and she made some new friends.

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And the buses look like THIS!

After half-sleeping the night away, we got to Puerto Iguazu around 2pm on Saturday, and settled into our hostel, which had some beautiful bamboo right outside our door.

For the rest of Saturday we explored around the town, because we wanted a full day at the waterfalls on Sunday. We got some souvenirs and ate at a traditional Argentinian restaurant.

On Sunday we got up, traveled a short half hour to the waterfalls, and explored all over Iguazu.

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It was kinda crazy beautiful.

We walked through all the different trails, got attacked by Coatis, and took tons of pictures of the incredible waterfalls.

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Seriously, the Coatis were everywhere. And they had no fear.

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Here’s me and a double rainbow!

 Overall, it was a beautiful trip, and for as last minute and spontaneous as it was, everything worked out really perfectly. We had a gorgeous blue sky day at the falls, and got back in plenty of time to catch our bus back to Rosario. We met some nice people, and had a fantastic adventure.  Anne